The Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned to undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels to save their season after starter Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb late in Week 3. 

Daniels did the best he could. Though Daniels made a few expected mistakes in his first NFL start, he played decently in Week 4’s loss to the Green Bay Packers and then had a tremendous game on the road against the Dallas Cowboys, leading Tampa to its only win of the season. 

However, Daniels took a major step backwards in Sunday’s agonizing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He threw two brutal fourth-quarter interceptions, which helped the Bucs blow a 16-3 lead in the final 15 minutes before falling 26-19 in overtime. 

In the second half against Pittsburgh, Daniels looked every bit the undrafted rookie he is for the first time, and Tampa’s season is once again hanging by the thinnest of threads at 1-5. 

Now it may be Mayfield’s turn to save the Bucs season. 

Speaking with the media on Monday, Tampa head coach Todd Bowles revealed that the team’s franchise quarterback is expected to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering the injury. 

"He's supposed to practice Wednesday," Bowles said. "We're gonna take a good look at him there, and then we'll kind of evaluate him during the week and see how he does."

Unsure If Mayfield Will Play On Sunday

While Bowles acknowledged Mayfield’s return to practice, the embattled coach admitted he is still unsure if he will be able to return to game action on Sunday. 

When asked, Bowles said the team will at least begin its preparation for Week 7 under the assumption that Daniels will once again get the nod. 

"I think you have to. They'll both be in the meetings, and we'll see how the week goes before we decide who it is."

The original timeline for Mayfield's injury was that he was expected to miss a minimum of three games. However, there were hopes that a much earlier return was possible after his stitches were removed on the Monday before Tampa's Thursday Night Football clash against the Cowboys.

When he had the stitches taken out, it was reported that Mayfield returning to face Dallas, after missing only one game, was unlikely but "not impossible." However, Mayfield wasn't as close to playing as it may have appeared, as he still hasn't been able to return to practice.

That will change on Wednesday.

The Bucs currently trail the Carolina Panthers by 2.5 games in the NFC South. The Panthers are Tampa's Week 7 opponent. If they are to have even the faintest possibility of resurrecting their season from hell, the Bucs must find a way to beat the Panthers.

Final Thoughts

Throughout his career, Mayfield has proven he is one of the NFL's toughest players by frequently playing through a myriad of injuries. That is a huge reason why some thought he could return from his dislocated thumb much quicker than originally thought.

If he can make it through three days of practice this week, it would be shocking if Mayfield doesn't make his return on Sunday, especially considering it is an absolute "must-win" game for the Bucs.

As long as Mayfield can grip (and hold onto) the football, I fully expect him to suit up against Carolina.